







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Is that what you want to do? | |
| I hope you are aware it's your last 3 days to find a house... | |
| And these days, I go to that pub quite often. | |
| Cate, are you okay? You seem a little bit aggressive. | |
| I'm sorry to say there is nothing very exciting. | |
| Why don't you get it then? Do you want to see upstairs or not? | |
| Excuse me sir, here are your drinks and the menu. | |
| Is it because it's too violent? | |
| Is it hay fever? I've got some pills for it! | |
| Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | |
| It has 1 year to pass its expiry date. | |
| That's good, seeing three houses in one day is not bad. | |
| Of course, she is an angel, do you want to talk to your mum? | |
| Thank you, see you there on Saturday at 13:00. | |
| How much garlic do you want? | |
| That's why you can't find the answer! | |
| Sorry, is it possible to see it this Saturday after 2 o'clock? | |
| It says best before 25th of February. | |
| Congratulations... But is Pogo a pet's name? | |
| It's difficult to find all the items manually on the self-checkout. | |